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Emerald Veil
The Emerald Veil is one of the autonomous allied realms (AARs) of Remnant located in West Mistral. It begins at the southern border of the Drudic Marshes at the Gates of Artamus and ends as far south as the Beryl Strait. Including its three satellite islands, Rem, Sanje and Memorja, the Veil has a total area of 3,147,902 km2 with a total population of around 4,000,000, making it the third largest AAR in the Kingdom of Remnant by area and the seventh most populated. It is governed by a dynastic oligarchy in which aspirants are chosen from among renowned houses to compete against one another in combat for seats in the conclave. It is one of only three autonomous allied realms in Remnant from which extensive records about the region's early history survives. Geography Bordered by the Valeian Ocean to the West and the Sea of Clouds to the East, many scholars of Remnant concur that the Emerald Veil is the world's largest peninsula, a proposition still rejected by some who consider it simply a part of the contiguous landmass of Mistral proper. In addition to the peninsula, the Emerald Veil also includes three islands in its dominion. Sanje and Memorja are the bigger two islands while Rem is the smallest of the three. Sanje and Memorja are intensely mountainous, shrouded in an ever-present fog. Rem is a lattice of tropical atolls and lagoons. The Rainlands ''of the Emerald Veil are composed primarily of lush jungles, steep terraces, and magical wetlands. The northernmost point of the Veil is also the westernmost point of the Mistral Trade Route featured in the board game played by the members of team RWBY. Generally, the realm is divided into North Veil and South Veil, delineating the two primary geographic extremes the area is noted for. The northern side, which is also the largest constituting 1,882,376 km2 of the Veil's total area, is primarily tropical, hot and humid with lush tropical rainforest dominating the landscape. In the areas bordering the Drudic Marshes there are outlying lowlands with swamps, mangroves and complex river systems comprising the Glittergreen River Delta where the river's two main distributaries, the Attesor and the Atteimad, empty out into the northwestern, agriculturally-rich area surrounding the port city of Manzala. This area is distinct for two reasons. First, it is the point at which the landmasses of Vale and Mistral are closest, separated by only 200 miles of ocean. Secondly, the designation between North Veil and South Veil occurs exactly upon the equatorial line of Remnant. The South Veil is extremely mountainous with the majority of its inhabitants living in steppe cities, river villages, or monastic cloisters sheltered far up in the misty mountains. This area includes all three of the Veil's islands, Sanje, Memorja and Rem. Due to geographical restraints, South Veil is far less populated but is also one of the oldest and richest sources of Dust in Remnant. South Veil was one of the original three destinations the Faunus settled upon during the great Menagerie Exodus and as such, there is still influence from Faunus protoculture all throughout the realm. South Veil is also a volcanic region, but unlike Eastern Mistral, all but one volcano, the Jadeplume Caldera, are dormant. Drudia At the northernmost crown of the Veil lies the Border Princes, named so for three royal brothers of antiquity who were the first to travel the Mistral Trade Route from end to end. The Felspark Mountains, which rise out of the very Vale Ocean and cut into the continental landmass of Mistral like a jagged axe, mark the end of the Trade Route where it culminates at the port city of Manzala. The Felspark Mountains are virtually impassible due both to punishing topography and an abundance of Grimm, but there exists a single corridor that has been exploited from times of old, a secret picked up by Mistralian traders from the Drude herdsmen who inhabit the swampland north of the mountains, the land of Drudia which Qrow Branwen describes as full of "lowlifes and thugs". Though Drudia isn't part of the Emerald Veil, the Drudic peoples have historically traded with the Veil for several centuries. Because the Chaakhari never stray beyond the Border Princes, the Drudes and the Chaak have ever gone to war. Beyond trade and barter, neither region has ever possessed enough of an interest in the other to precipitate launching a campaign for territorial gain, resources, tribute or indentured servitude. This is perhaps fortunate, since the majority of the Drudes were killed during the Great War, and they would hardly be a match for the combined military strength of the Chaakhari empire were it brought to bear upon the resource-starved fens of Drudia. The Glittergreen River Delta To travelers new to western Mistral, the verdant farmlands which crest the alabaster cliffs (paj'mazdana, white rocks) of the Felspark Mountains are truly a sight to behold. It is here that the world-famous Glittergreen River empties into the Valeian Ocean, causing both waters and beaches to adopt a shimmering jadeite hue as a result of the emerald-tinged silt and eroded jewels the river carries with it. The area is one of the largest river deltas in Remnant, covering 105 km (65 mi) of Mistralian coastline. Colloquially, the black-gold soil of the farmlands, pungent orchards, colorful gardens and flower field which dapple the countryside are known as Pendleton's Lectern. At the center of it all is the port city of Manzala ("God's Pocket" to locals) a gargantuan, bustling metropolis which supplies nearly half of all the Dust, jewels, minerals, food, drink, textiles, fabrics, weapons, spices, herbs, paints, dyes, oils, wine and art to Vale and Atlas. This tiny corner of the Veil is unique in that it is the only area of the AAR that enjoys favorable weather suitable for agriculture and industry almost year-round as a result of a divine weather trifecta of ocean currents to the west, the wall of rock to the north, and the cool moors to the south. The River Delta is the most densely populated region of the realm, and Manzala is the Veil's second most populous city, losing to its capitol Kajaar. The Attesor and the Atteimad There are two distributaries of the Glittergreen River that wind serpentine through the farmlands and barrows of Pendleton's Lectern and empty into Vale's ocean. These are the Attesor and the Atteimad. The Attesor runs generally more vertically, north to south, whereas the Atteimad arcs wildly off to the east, circling down and around the Canopus Range before reuniting with the Glittergreen further to the south. This area is host to a mixture of dense, sprawling mangrove swamps and tepid bogs with relatively moderate temperatures, with highs usually not surpassing 31 °C (88 °F) in the summer. Only about 300–400 mm of rain falls on the delta area during an average year, and most of this falls in the winter months. The delta experiences its hottest temperatures in July and August, with maximum average of 34 °C (93 °F). Winter temperatures are normally in the range of 7 °C (44 °F) at nights to 17 °C (62 °F) at days. With cooler temperatures and some rain, the Glittergreen Delta region becomes quite humid during the winter months. Wildlife During autumn, sections of the upper Glittergreen River are red with lotus flowers carried downstream from the Rainlands. The red petals drifting serenely in massive sheets down an emerald-colored river are truly a sight to behold. The Lower Glittergreen (North) and the Upper Glittergreen (South) have plants that grow in abundance. The Upper Glittergreen plant is the Mistralian lotus, and the Lower Glittergreen plant is the Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail, common bulrush) which is used both in local medicine (such as a poultice for boils, burns, or wounds) and local cuisine. Over one hundred thousand water birds winter in the delta, including Remnant's largest concentrations of little gulls and whiskered terns. Other birds making their homes in the delta include grey herons, lesser dragonhawks, the Manzalan coral maniraptor, cormorants, egrets and ibises. Other animals found in the delta include frogs, Glittergreen boas, turtles, ehlnor, tortoises, pandorai laughing lemurs, mongooses, and the Glittergreen monitor. Sqelth and hippopotamus, two animals which were widespread in the delta during antiquity, have been hunted to the point of endangerment. Fish found in the delta include the striped mullet, sturgeon, and the ever-popular shekafura. The Rainlands Where the moors and the mangroves give way to dense jungle, the Rainlands of North Veil begin. Here there is is almost no dry season–all months have an average precipitation value of at least 60 mm. It extends 8 degrees north and south in both directions of Remnant's equator are a sub-set of the tropical forest biome. The region can be characterized in two words: hot and wet. Mean monthly temperatures exceed 18 °C (64 °F) during all months of the year. Average annual rainfall is no less than 182 cm (72 in). This high level of precipitation often results in poor soils due to leaching of soluble nutrients in the ground. The Rainlands exhibit the high levels of biodiversity anywhere in Mistral. Around 40% to 75% of all biotic species on the continent are indigenous to the rainforests of the Veil. The jungles of the Rainlands are home to nearly a third of all the living animal and plant species on the planet. Two-thirds of all flowering plants in Remnant can be found in the Rainlands. A single hectare of Chaakhari rainforest may contain 40,000 different species of insect, up to 800 trees of 314 species and 1,000 species of higher plants. The Rainlands have been described by Mistralian merchants as the "world's largest pharmacy", because over one quarter of natural medicines have been discovered within it. Indigenous Peoples The Rainlands are primarily occupied by the Chaakhari Northern Conclave (CNC), the sociopolitical governate assigned to the aggregate of all chaaks (tribal bloodlines) officially recognized as part of the Emerald Veil by the Calendar of Spears proclamation. The majority of the chaaks have evolved into, at the very least, a civilized and urbane culture, building great cities of stone, jade, alabaster and ivory. However, the Rainlands are an incredibly immense jungle, and are also host to a number of hunter-gatherer tribes that live beyond the observed territorial lines of Veil cities and townships and occasionally venture outside their secret lairs to hunt, trade or relocate. Others subsist as part-time, small scale farmers by trading high-value forest products such as hides, feathers, flowers, plants and honey with agricultural people living outside the forest. Resources Peoples have inhabited the rainforests of the Emerald Veil for thousands of years and have remained so elusive that only recently have some tribes been discovered. These indigenous peoples are greatly threatened by loggers and Dust mining operations, particularly the Schnee Dust Company, in search for old-growth tropical hardwoods like ipe, cumaru and wenge, by quarries digging for jewels, emeralds, gold and Dust, and by farmers looking to expand their land for food and feed for cattle and other livestock, such as soybeans. Food resources within the forest are extremely dispersed due to the high biological diversity, and what food does exist is largely restricted to the canopy and requires considerable energy to obtain. Some groups of hunter-gatherers have exploited the Rainlands on a seasonal basis, but dwell primarily in adjacent mountains, farmlands or coastline and open forest environments where food is much more abundant. Conservation Deposits of precious metals (gold, silver, coltan) and fossil fuels (oil and natural gas) occur underneath the Rainlands globally. These resources are important to developing kingdoms and AARs, particularly those still struggling after being decimated during the Great War, and their extraction is often given priority to encourage economic growth. Mining and drilling can require large amounts of land development, directly causing deforestation, and currently, the Schnee Dust Company has 37 different open contracts with the Chaakhari government to plunder the region for natural resources. After the Vytalian peace accord, renewed agriculture and new technologies to further advance it allowed humans and Faunus alike to clear large swathes of rainforest to produce crops, converting it to open farmland. Such people, however, obtain their food primarily from farm plots cleared from the forest and hunt and forage within the forest to supplement this. The issue arising is between the independent farmer providing for his family and the needs and wants of the globe as a whole. This issue has seen little improvement because no plan has been established for all parties to be aided. Agriculture within the formerly forested Rainlands is not without difficulties. Rainforest soils are often thin and leached of many minerals, and the heavy rainfall can quickly leach nutrients from area cleared for cultivation. People such as the Chiroptaka, a non-chaak people of the jungle, utilize slash-and-burn agriculture to overcome these limitations and enable them to push deep into what were previously rainforest environments. However, the Chiroptaka are not rainforest dwellers, rather they are dwellers in cleared farmland that make forays into the rainforest. Up to 90% of the typical Chiroptaka diet comes from farmed plants and local fruits, common edible habits of the mixed Drudic-Chaak ethnic subgroup. Some action has been taken by suggesting fallow periods of the land allowing secondary forest to grow and replenish the soil. Beneficial practices like soil restoration and conservation have benefited the small farmer and allowed better production on smaller parcels of land. Nevertheless, such activities along with deforestation and heavy mining has had a significant and alarming impact on local wildlife. The Chaakhari tiger, jade horned rhinoceros, Chaakhari elephant, Sustrian ground cuckoo, and emerald orangutan are all nearly critically endangered, indicating the highest level of threat to their survival. Many of these species have migrated permanently southward into the northern valleys and subtropical mistwoods of South Veil. Enhasa It has been said that it could take one hundred years to navigate through the Rainlands of the Emerald Veil without a compass. If that were to be true, then an unequipped journey through the perilous steppes and misty mountains of Enhasa would prove no less than a one-thousand year saga. Fortunately, the inhabitants of the Chaakhari Southern Conclave (CSC), the descendants of ancient peoples who have charted and cultivated the mountainous region for centuries, are well equipped. 708,854 km2 of rugged, formidable crags and valleys constitute the region of the Veil known as Enhasa (lit. "cradle of mist") where over 2,000 of Remnant's most productive Dust, jewel, gold, silver, emerald and jade mines are responsible for producing tens of thousands of tonnes of mineral resources every single day. In addition, three converging mountain ranges are host to several dozen dynastic temples and thousands of citizens that have sworn fealty to their lords. There are estimated to be over 6,000 unique shrines within the peaks of Enhasa as well as numerous rice terraces and tea plantations. Numerous smaller rivers and tributaries flow out of the mountains and into the southernmost (upper) sections of the Glittergreen River. Many of these mountains and the rocky passages between them are traveled by airships and zeppelins and other newfangled inventions from all over the world of Remnant. It is home to the capitol city of the Emerald Veil, Kajaar, which is the oldest city in South Mistral for which there is limited historical documentation of its history. The Zengjafah, Guardians of the Mountains The system of government within the Emerald Veil is as complex and labyrinthine as its river system. It is the only autonomous allied realm in all of Remnant that has three completely unique governing bodies that all manage to function harmoniously and recognize both the Emerald Veil as their sovereign nation and their local municipalities as equally powerful and legitimate entities. While the Calendar of Spears Proclamation divided the Veil in half and created the governates of the CNC (Chaakhari Northern Conclave) and the CSC (Chaakhari Southern Conclave) to administer the rulings of the royal dynastic Chaak princes, the CSC exists practically in name only. Enhasa is truly ruled by an organization called the ''Zeng'jafah ''(also Zengjafah, Zengjafa, Zengja, or Nasakaji), a stratocratic confederacy of military chiefs, many of whom are also skilled hunters and huntresses. The Zeng'jafah is a completely gender-blind martial firm; its leadership is chosen based on strategic aptitude, social perceptiveness, natural charisma, physical athleticism, cognitive intricacy, and raw creativity. Collectively, they are known as the The Mountain Guardians Who See Beyond the Fog, or the ''Zeng'jafah Zel Nimh Tatsuken Tohrai, ''and the army they command, the Karaburan, is famous for having repeatedly rebuked both Vale and Atlas (formerly Mantle) from invading South Veil during the Great War when the Dust Rush began. The Zeng'jafah communicates their political dealings to members of the CSC who, more or less, simply pass word along to the Regency of Kajaar. Typically, the Zeng'jafah do not live in regular urban centers, but dwell in shrines or temple cities. Nine Peaks, Nine Houses Three converging mountain ranges, the Tengu, the Kappa and the Fujin have historically always been led by nine war chiefs at any given time. This is most likely due to the fact that there are nine mountains which are distinctly higher than all the rest, and, quite conveniently, each mountain range boasts exactly three of them, splitting the territory thrice. The most powerful of the Zeng'jafah war chiefs will always reside at the base of the Havenloft, the highest mountain in Enhasa. The city beneath Havenloft is Kajaar, the capitol city of the Emerald Veil herself. The ruling war chiefs of the Zeng'jafah, referred to by the citizens as "The Nine", all rule for a "cycle". This cycle ends when a member of the group of nine dies or is killed. It is then that the remaining number convene to discuss candidates to fill the remaining seats. A member of the Nine must then sever all ties with their former family and take a new name, never to return to their old life. A member of the Zengjafah can not also serve on the SCS simultaneously. Ancient Culture There are three very old documents which discuss the earliest history of the Veil. These are, from oldest to newest, the Emerald Canticles, the Scrolls of Sustre, and the Calendar of Spears. From these, we are able to glean that South Veil originally came to be as Faunus protoculture migrating northward out of Menagerie during the Exodus converged with the fishing tribes and nomadic steppe farmers of Enhasa. As such, there are many remarkably old secrets, statues, shrines and sites of wonder scattered throughout the Veil. The ''Shuzeidan Stahlar, ''or Forty-Thousand Stairs, are a series of stone stairs carved into the stone of the Fujin Mountains, and although it is unclear when work on them began, it is known that they are easily over 8,000 years old. Because the ancient cultures dominating the region did not have access to airship technology, there are hundreds of tiny bridges that often span numerous behemoths of stone that rise out of the ocean of fog that covers the valley floors and rivers below. Domesticating the wild beasts of the alps and traveling the rivers by ship were the most practical methods of transportation at the time. However, archeological digs over the past hundred years have revealed evidence that the early civilizations may have used things akin to wingsuits, medieval hang gliders, or even domesticated flying creatures to quickly soar from peak to peak. Although these technologies and cultures have long been lost, researches and engineers have developed renewed interest in applying the ancient schematics and ideas to modern technologies. Flora and Fauna The biodiversity of South Veil differs greatly from the jungles to the north, but the ecosystem is not any less complex or multifaceted. Combining the immense catalog of plant and animal life from the South Veil with that of the north, the Emerald Veil alone is responsible for making Mistral the most biodiverse nation in Remnant. Recently, due to deforestation to the north, the ecosystem of South Veil has been threatened by invasive species and non-native animal populations shifting southward to escape human and Faunus industrial enterprises. Enhasa's flora is very oriental in nature, featuring an abundance of lotus and azalea. Enhasa has over 12,000 species of vascular plants scattered across the mountains and terraces, and is home to a variety of forest types. Cold coniferous forests predominate in the south of the country, supporting animal species such as moose and Sustrian black bear, along with over 80 bird species. The understorey of moist conifer forests may contain thickets of bamboo, particularly in the southern regions. In higher montane stands of juniper and yew, the bamboo is frequently replaced by rhododendrons, seraphinia and the rare malachite moonflower. Subtropical forests, which are predominate in northeastern and central Enhasa, support as many as 66,000 species of flora. Tropical and seasonal rainforests, though confined to north and northwestern Enhasa, contain a quarter of all the animal and plant species found in the Veil. South Veil has over 4,000 recorded species of fungi, and of them, nearly 2,000 are higher fungi. The animals native to Enhasa are extremely diverse and often described by tourists as mythical or "like something out of folklore". This is particularly true of animals such as the Lazulian golden bearhound, riverstriders, crocodogs, emerald windfish, the Tiberian slivvet, and the yakuul. Many of these animals are extremely dangerous, and as a result, there are high premiums placed on many of these species, making poaching, hunting, trapping and zeppelin-born sharpshooting competitions tirelessly popular. Even the tuktuk, a yak-like pack animal used primarily for agriculture and transportation for centuries has now found an additional use as the tuktuk hide and fur has become popular in rugs and coats. Tuktuk horns are also used to make many of the bone-based musical instruments played throughout the Veil. In recent decades, Enhasa has suffered from increased environmental strain and deterioration and pollution, largely as a result of numerous mining, lumber, and large-scale fishing operations conducted in the region by a handful of corporate interests, including but not limited to the Schnee Dust Company, the Atlas Military, the Vacuo Consortium and the Mistralian Central Government herself. While regulations such as the Environmental Protection Ordinance are fairly stringent, they are poorly enforced, as they are frequently disregarded by heavily armed, paramilitary groups that guard quarries and sites of operation, and also by government officials in favor of rapid economic development. Jadeplume Caldera One of Enhasa's most famous (and perhaps notorious) features is the Jadeplume Caldera, the only active volcano in western Mistral. At 1,890 m (6,200 ft), it is the highest mountain in the Fujin range, and the third highest mountain in South Veil. Formed by an immense volcanic eruption, a large crater lake, called Haven Lake (after which the Haven school is named in honor of the Skyfall event) sits in the shimmering jadeite caldera atop the mountain. The eruption of Jadeplume Mountain nearly 3,000 years ago has been dubbed the "Skyfall eruption", erupting at approximately 80–120 km3 tephra. This eruption was about a Volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 7. This was one of the largest and most violent eruptions in the last 6,000 years of Remnant's history. The Scrolls of Sustre paint a vivid picture about the Skyfall eruption. 2898 years ago, "thunders from the Heaven's drum" (likely the explosions from the Skyfall eruption) were heard in the City of Lah'zuli, then the capital of Dinghu Era Veil, terrifying the Primarch of Ehmer so much that he ordered every slave in the city was immediately awarded their freedom and set free. According to the scrolls, a pale, mint-green, ashen snow then fell upon the city, over 400 km away, for three entire weeks thereafter. Reverberations and rumblings were felt in Sustre, over 1,200 km to the north. The explosion caused an immense amount of gemstones, minerals, natural gas and Dust to erupt out of Remnant's mantle, gushing forth from subterranean magma chambers and hotspots beneath the crust, granting access to incredibly mineral-rich deposits of a wide variety of ores and valuable commodities, namely Dust. Historically, mining Dust directly from either the crown of the mountain or its caldera has been illegal due to the volatile nature of Dust, particularly under pressure and when heated, and the perceived effects it would have on the environment, however mining operations continue along the base and at various camps at strategic elevations. Jadeplume Mountain is a stratovolcano whose cone is truncated by a large caldera, about 5 km (3.1 mi) wide and 595 m (1,952 ft) deep, partially filled by the waters of Haven Lake. The lake has a circumference of 9 to 11 kilometres (5.6–6.8 miles), with an average depth of 178 m (584 ft) and maximum depth of 244 m (800 ft). From November to late May, the lake is typically covered with ice. During the Pax Vytalia, a delegation of experts were assembled to discuss the potential for a significant eruption in the future. Currently, the Atlas Military have been granted exclusive rights to mining operations of the caldera above 914 m (3,000 ft) provided they only use non-human (robotic) mining personnel or machines in accordance with human and faunus rights provisions. Fear of the Atlas-Schnee business conglomerate moving into the region has sparked many environmentalist protests and as well as conspiratorial and sensational journalism on the subject. Mining Operations Mining throughout South Veil, particularly after the widespread production of airships and JAPOCs (Jet-Assisted Prefabricated Operations Center), has grown quite extensive. Across all three mountain ranges, the Tengu, Kappa, and Fujin, there are 2,049 licensed mining operations presently active, and about another 70 or so unlicensed operations. Of the licensed operations in the region, 1,045 are contracted by the Schnee Dust Company, giving the corporation just over half the total market share of all operations in South Veil at 51%. Atlas comes in second at 23% (492 mines), then the Central Mistralian government with 15% (307 mines) and various other consortiums, interests, and local governments with the remaining 11% (225 mines). Of the total mining operations, exactly 75% are Dust and gem mines; the others are generally operations to extract ores and metals, such as gold, silver, cobalt, iron, copper, magnesium and others. Until modern times, traditional mining had been outlawed throughout the entirety of the Emerald Veil, rigorously enforced by both the Vanguard of the Veil, the region's central army, and the Karaburan of South Veil. However with the advent of modern technologies, in the wake of the Great War, and under significant political and economic pressure to conform to the modernity and rapidly evolving world, the Chaaks have ceded many of their former, time-worn views and beliefs in favor of prosperity, industry and diplomacy. This, of course, is still not cut and dry. For instance, in the North Veil, it is much easier to obtain, maintain, and broker contracts for mining and deforestation, all of which are handled through the local bureaucracy of Manzala. In the South Veil, however, it is much more difficult, as regulations are still much more stringent and approval must be granted both by the SCS and the Zengjafah. In Enhasa, only underground mining operations are permissible; surface mining, such as open-pit mining, quarrying, and pit-mining, as well as highwall mining, landfill mining, and mountaintop removal are all strictly illegal. Conventional drilling cannot be conducted above specified elevations, and in some cases, such as at the Jadeplume Caldera, mining personnel must be robotic and non-organic. Environmental issues inevitably result from these goings-on, and can include erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes. In some cases, additional forest logging is done in the vicinity of mines to create space for the storage of the created debris and soil, but oftentimes this is not enough. Contamination resulting from leakage of chemicals can also affect the health of the local population if not properly controlled. Extreme examples of pollution from mining activities include coal fires, which can last for years or even decades, producing massive amounts of environmental damage. Mining companies and interests in the Veil are required to follow stringent environmental and rehabilitation codes in order to minimize environmental impact and avoid impacting human health. These codes and regulations all require the common steps of environmental impact assessment, development of environmental management plans, mine closure planning (which must be done before the start of mining operations), and environmental monitoring during operation and after closure. However, in some areas, particularly in more corrupt or under-policed regions of the AAR, government regulations may not be well enforced or are willfully ignored. Sanja, Memorja and Rem Farthest to the southern reaches of the Veil are the Emerald Isles, named so for the glittering cliffs of jade and moss that rise heavenward out of the fog amidst practically neon turquoise, transparent waters, and for the green-purple aurora australis that hangs bewitchingly overhead. Memorja and the small islet Rem are both located in the Sea of Clouds to the southeast of Enhasa. Sanja, the largest of the three islands, is located directly beneath South Veil. It is the most mountainous and difficult to navigate, and along with the island of Cairn, acts as a natural buffer between the Vytalian Ocean and the Sea of Clouds. Industrial efforts still remain outlawed on all three islands, as the Mistralian Central Government declared them national treasured locations in accordance with Sacred Historical Antiquities Protection Act (SHAPA). The Sea of Clouds The Sea of Clouds, also called Enhasa Bay, is the largest bay in the world, and forms the northern part of the Mistralian Ocean. It is bordered by Enhasa and South Veil to the west, the Baldor Barrens to the north, and West Meridia to the east. It contains several dozen fjords along its eastern perimeter, two large coastal inlets, and easily over one hundred coves amidst the main islands and numerous smaller islands. In addition to the three most famous islands in the Sea, there are the Schalan Islands which are a tiny archipelago famous for boasting the summer homes and estates of many noble families from Central MIstral and Highwind Reach. The Sea of Clouds occupies an area of 2,894,000 km2 (1,798,250 square miles). A number of large rivers–the Glittergreen and its upper tributaries such as the Pengzhu, the Gato, the Iruhojah as well as other rivers such as the Ramakanda River, Elmenchi, Azetsu, Sustre and the Penderon all flow into the Sea of Clouds Among the important ports are Skyharbor (the 'capital' of Memorja), Deeku, Kokatah, Sparrowglen, Gaussenberg, Thorvaald, Seneca and Rangoon. Skyharbor Because of its location relative to the rest of Mistral, the Mistralian Ocean, and due to the fact that all trade routes moving east-west across the southern hemisphere utilize the Beryl Strait to save navigation time or to avoid southern tropical cyclones, Skyharbor is the most populous city of all three islands of the Veil, and hence it is unofficially called the "capital city of the islands". The "new" Skyharbor was built over the ruins of the old one, which was largely ransacked or bombed during the Great War. It is the biggest cultural, economic and educational center in South Veil. As it is the home of the Ministry of Dust Research, many scholars and students come to study abroad at its many temples and shrines of learning. Also, the site of the yearly Skyharbor Hunter/Huntress Charity Ball, it is the most visited city in the Emerald Veil by foreign tourists, and 9th most visited city in the world. The city is host to the third-largest expatriate population in the Veil after Manzala and Kajaar with over 170,000 in recent years. It is a mecca for the arts, sciences, and philosophy. Many Haven students in their later years have elected to study abroad in Skyharbor, or continue on to do research there after graduation. It is the headquarters of the Emerald Economics League (EEL) and is also where the estate of Sek Aneki, current lord marshal of the Karaburan. Skyharbor also boasts the largest fishing industry in all of South Mistral. Windfishing is an extremely common past time and industry both in the Sea of Clouds, and Skyharbor excels at it over all others. Ministry of Dust Research at Skyharbor The Ministry of Dust Research is a privately-funded Dust research group and think tank with multiple contracts with both the Mistralian Central Government, the Atlas Military, and even the nation of Vale. It is a high security facility protected by ex-Karaburan warriors, and little is known of exactly what goes in at its campus in Skyharbor. From what has been gleaned at the galas the ministers attend, a substantial portion of the research facility is in fact underwater. They have researched everything from Dust-weaving for fabrics and armor to Dust-etching with weapons to applications for Dust in medicine, architecture, transportation, engineering and robotics. The current head of the group is Galen Silverfrost. The Director of Research and Development is Dahlia Hellebore. Beryl Strait The Beryl Strait (''Bahufa Nimjini ''in Chaak) is a narrow strait that connects the Sea of Clouds to the Valeian Ocean and separates Sanja from Cairn Island. The name comes from the color of the cliffs of the Emerald Isles. Pendre, the smaller strait between Enhasa and Sanja, is not as frequently navigated for a variety of reasons, most notably the treachery of a complex system of powerful currents (caused mostly by tributaries and estuaries from South Veil emptying into the nearby gulfs and the crags that rise steeply out shallow waters. Pendre became even more difficult to navigate after tidal stream turbines began to be used to deliver considerable tidal power, capable of generating in excess of 10 GW (gigawatts). Fishing Operations The Emerald Veil, boasting about one-fifth of the Mistral's population and servicing three of the four of the kingdoms, accounts for one third of the world's reported fish production and a quarter of the worlds reported aquaculture production. Aquaculture, the farming of fish in ponds, lakes and tanks, accounts for two-thirds of the Veil's reported output. Before the Great War, the Emerald Veil's fishing output was 2.4 million tonnes, just half of the world's leading fishing empire of Vale with 4.7 million tonnes. After the Great War, fishing declined substantially, but has made substantial progress regaining its operational status in the past few decades. The Veil's fishing industry is one of the world's best due to a fortunate convergence of various tradewinds, atmospheric rivers, temperate currents, geography that funnels the fish into specific channels, and eastward-moving tides. The principal aquaculture-producing regions are close to urban markets such as Manzala and Skyharbor. Evergem Cultivation The last truly remarkable feature of the Emerald Veil are the existence of ''evergems, or Dust crystals that were locked inside amber, and were heated by volcanic or geothermal processes causing a brilliant but contained explosion inside the fossilized resin of trees (usually the kumatra palm) creating a beautiful, Dust-enhanced design that oftentimes looks like a universe or nebula within a crystal. These gems are rare and difficult to mine, but are extremely expensive and are used to make some of the most expensive jewelry and clothing in the world of Remnant. Because evergems naturally occur only in areas that are volcanic or were formerly volcanic and the process may take centuries if not thousands of years, they are found only in a very select few places in Mistral. Wealthy noble families through Remnant, and Mistral especially, such as the Schnees, the Zenobians, the Fluers, Previans, Asters, Delphiniums and the Gloriosas were all known to buy, collect, trade and cherish evergems. The largest evergem in the world is the Hope of Mistral, a 755 carat evergem housed in the Mistralian Museum of Antiquities in the capital city of Mistral. History Until recently, the history of the Emerald Veil extended back as far as 8,000 years before the Great War. What is known from this period, and the storied eras that would define present-day "EV", is primarily accounted by the Emerald Canticles, a series of scrolls made from the pith of the papyrus plant, cyperus papyrus that are now preserved in the AAR's capital city, Kajaar in the Imperial Library's Royal Wing. Archeological digs in the past 40 years have expanded these insights considerably, determining that there were civilizations, perhaps even thriving, in the Veil as long ago as 12,000 years before the Great War. The Tribes That Never Met Oldest records indicate that, in addition to small, disorganized tribes of fishermen that rarely lasted more than a decade at most, the Emerald Veil was predominantly occupied by two tribes. The Aihnyu, who dwelled in the mountainous region of then-South Veil, and the Horai who dwelled in the rainforests of the north. Very little is known about either civilization other than that the Aihnyu worshipped fire and regularly made pilgrimages to and built shrines near Haven Lake along the Jadeplume Caldera. They made a primitive form of charcoal tribal art which they painted onto cave walls or etched into volcanic stone. The Horai were more sophisticated in that they developed rudimentary forms of stone carving with tools that were easy to fashion from within the biodiverse jungle of the Rainlands. Each tribe was wiped out for a completely different reason. The Aihnyu were largely decimated by a terrible plague or pox that swept across Mistral sometime around 9,000 BGW. Their reduced numbers fled the jungles, and their fates are unknown but it is speculated that some joined fishing tribes while others moved north and interbred with the ancestors of the Drudes. The Horai were killed in a much more bizarre and exotic way. At some point in time, a terrifyingly large and powerful Grimm dragon named Tuhrokk was awakened by the civilization, and began to destroy cities and mountains alike. The Horai estimated that to appease their new angry, awoken God, they had to sacrifice their own people by hurling them into the Caldera, until the God was satisfied. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, were hurled screaming into the slag, but Tuhrokk would not be appeased. Those that were not eaten or killed fled southward and left the shores of the Sea of Clouds. Neither the Aihnyu nor the Horai ever made contact with each other. It was perhaps here that the Emerald Veil began its long, isolationist history of being exceedingly hesitant to venture far beyond the Veil herself. The Emerald Canticles The Emerald Canticles are, undoubtedly, the oldest records of the Veil that have been authenticated. The authors are numerous, and records of the lives and deeds of most have long ago vanished. Whether it was even just one or several authors remains unknown. They are indeed somewhat of a codex; it required solving a riddle or puzzle in order to decipher the lexicon used in the glyphs found within the Canticles. It wasn't until five hundred years ago that the cipher was cracked by a young nobleman, mathematician, playwright and astronomer from Vale, the Viscount Ducat Kepler. The Canticles are divided into three 'cycles', which are broken up into the following: Cycle 1 * The Veil as the chosen kingdom of the Skyborn Watchers (Gods), referred to through the codex as Sagajin ''(Ever-green) * The Veil as the land that cannot be conquered * The Veil as a part of Mistral '''Cycle 2' * The Exodus Era (8,000 BGW—7,000 BGW) ** The migration of the Faunus into the Emerald Veil ** The birth of an empire * The Dinghu Era (7,000 BGW—6,500 BGW) ** The dark ages of an empire ** The Corsaire Wars ** The birth of miyabi-do * The Ehmer Era (6,000 BGW—3,000 BGW) ** One King, Nine Swords—The Primarch and the Zeng'jafah ** The Mistralian Incursions ** The inception of the Karaburan ** The Vacuo Campaigns ** The Atlas Invasion ** The Jadeplume Eruption * The Remnalian (Chaakhari) Era (2,500 BGW—35 BGW) ** Alliance with the Central Mistralian Government ** Maidens in the Veil ** An empire of Dust Cycle 3 * Famous heroes and leaders * Famous villains and traitors * Accounts of the Gods and Demons * Dust and Magic * Epilogue The second of the three cycles gives the detailed accounting of the region's earliest history. This is broken up into a beautiful saga that (originally) spans a 5,000 year period of history (from 8,000 BGW to the Skyfall Eruption of the Jadeplume Caldera in 2898 BGW). Called Izanagihon ''(the ''Book of Days, from izanagi ''meaning 'a chronicle of things or time from its natural beginning to its natural end' and ''hon ''meaning book), the Second Cycle, unlike the other two cycles, was written by multiple authors over a long period of time. It is believed that shortly after the birth of ''miyabi-do ''(the "Water's Way", the foundation for the ''Futsunushi ''code followed by the Karaburan), the then-emperor of the Dinghu Nation "ordered an accounting of his lands, her peoples, and the days that had befallen them". These writings would become the First Cycle. All throughout the First Cycle, the Veil is referred to as ''Sagajin, meaning "ever green". At times, it is very dogmatic, praising the empire and extolling her accomplishments and righteous leadership. The Second Cycle was compiled to completion in 3,000 BGW, 102 years before the Jadeplume Caldera exploded. An addition to the Second Cycle, the Remnalian Era, was made recently only 35 years before the Great War, when texts were found during archeological digs that indicated that another author had attempted to fill in the final gaps between the transitioning of the Old Ehmer empire into the Chaakhari Dominion of present-day. Because of its relevance to the historical part of the Canticles, it has been added to controversial effect to the end of the Second Cycle. The Final Cycle is a combination of texts from the original First Cycle and additional tomes written by other esteemed writers, historians, generals and leaders of the day; most of these are stories, fables, anecdotes, missives, and musings about various colorful facets of the Veil civilization at different times in history. This section of the article will concern itself with the Izanagihon, or Second Cycle, in order to examine the history of the region. The Exodus Era (8,000 BGW—7,000 BGW) This time in the Veil's history occurred approximately 8,000 years ago. It describes a foggy time in Remnant's history at large during which there were few truly great or magnificent civilizations, and far more warring tribes. There were no maidens in the world of yet, or at least the Canticles never makes mention of them specifically at this point. It tells of a great warring of clans in the islands to the south, and of the hero that emerged to unite them: "To the Shiguldian piscators and clam diggers of the isles, it was known, what that with the sanguine dye of corpses strewn did crimson tides the beaches paint; the Land Beyond the Fog knew war, and it was not their want to interfere. Of steel and coinage Shiguld knew not, for the affairs of the anthropomorphic Gods they believed inhabited those lands to be meddled with were not by simple fisher folk intended." (Cycle 2, Shotokotashi, 09:3:3) This passage of course refers to the Age of Clans that was occurring in Menagerie (called simply 'Land Beyond the Fog' by many earlier poets). The Canticles go on to describe how after a bloody, tumultuous period in proto-Faunus history, Jinboh Usagi united the majority of his people and struck out into the greater world of Remnant. The destination Usagi took with his own people was Mistral. Two other of his most trusted generals went to Vacuo and Vale respectively. Initially, the Faunus that migrated to the Emerald Veil settled first in Sanja, then spread out directly to Memorja, Enhasa, and Rem. They remained relatively confined to the furthest reaches of South Veil for a while. The Shiguldian fishing peoples were the first to trade with the migrating Faunus, and would do so for many centuries until they eventually went westward to the southern territories of the Vale. The Shiguldians warned Jinboh not to go far inland in Enhasa, that there was an enormous, terrifying Grimm dragon there named Tuhrokk that would surely eat or destroy anyone that entered his domain. When Jinboh took 99 of his most trusted, able-bodied warriors up the slopes of the Fujin Mountains, sought out the Grimm and killed it, he was instantly recognized as the Hero of Sagajin and became the first acknowledged ruler of the initial settlers of the Veil. However, during the battle, his sword arm was badly damaged, and he lost feeling and dexterity in his right hand. As such, afterward, his capacity as a warrior diminished greatly. Without any children to carry on his legacy, he appointed his first in command, a supposedly avian Faunus (accordingly to legend, she had feathers protruding from within her hair) named Shaka Dinghu, a magnificent swordswoman Jinboh had trained personally from childhood and with whom he had, for many years, had a passionate relationship with, his successor. About a decade later, Jinboh announced he had had a strange dream, a mysterious and enigmatic one that he felt obliged to pursue at all costs, and he sailed out into the Sea of Clouds and was never heard from or seen ever again. The Dinghu Era (7,000 BGW—6,500 BGW) Shaka Dinghu was unanimously accepted as Jinboh's heir. She was also the second best fighter of the Nanaraizen, and her prowess at the sword could not be disputed. Ironically, it is told in the Canticles that the very night before Jinboh had gone to kill Tuhrokk, the two made love for luck and bravery. It was not until after the battle that Shaka would learn she was pregnant with Sarutahiko Jinboh Dinghusei, the First Emperor of the Dinghu Dynasty. Life was hardscrabble in those times, and there was much death. All the activity caused by the Nanaraizen, the new Faunus prospectors and the trade between the Dinghu and the Shiguldians and other local fishing tribes caught the attention of many pirate leagues operating in the area, specifically the Sinister Sisters of Darkwater (whose group may have been one of the possible progenitors of the Black Circle) and the Krazy Kurrent Kartell (lead by the mischievous mercenary Laurence de Graffe). The young Sarutahiko's entire childhood would be remembered by long stretches of battling relentless pirates both by land and by sea punctuated by brief moments of relative peace helping build homes for his people, administering early forms of government and administration, seeing to the establishment of agriculture and training fighters to defend against pirate raids. When Sarutahiko was only twenty-two years old, he convinced his mother that for the Dinghu people to thrive beyond simply towns and agriculture with trained militias, they had to evolve into a civilization, and that meant consolidating power, eliminating threats, and setting an example for people to follow. The Dinghu had settled in, but now they needed a cause, and in Sarutahiko's mind, that cause was taking the blood feuds with the pirates to their front doors. While this was fairly easy to do for the Sinister Sister who made birth from a very specific set of coves and atolls, the Krazy Kurrent Kartell was a total anomaly in that its leader, Laurence de Graffe, a fiendishly intelligent strategist and an even better sailor, never stayed in one place long enough to be tracked down, ambushed, captured or killed. Needless to say, his reputation of being an "immortal pirate" didn't put a damper on Sarutahiko's spirits. Honoring the namesake of his father after whom he had been named, he decided to eliminate one of the singular greatest threats to his people's survival of the day. Dinghusei knew that the one thing a pirate could simply not resist was treasure, and to goad de Graffe into a trap, he loaded a merchant trading vessel with an enormous amount of loot, and ordered it to sail through the Pendre Strait between Enhasa and Sanja. That particular body of water is notoriously difficult to navigate due to powerful riptides, relentless currents, sharp crags and invisible shallows—the perfect sort of place a pirate likes to test his or her mettle. Laurence de Graffe took the bait, and in he sailed after the merchant ship, the majority of his own vessels bottlenecked and unable to spread out for tactical advantage. One by one, from the cliffs above and from the shores and waters below, the Dinghu ships hammered the corsaires in one of the most explosive and bloody battles to occur during that time in Mistral's history: the Slaughter at Pendre Strait. Thousands of lives would be lost that day, but the Dinghu would emerge victorious, and to drive the message home, de Graffe was cast, kicking and screaming, into the Jadeplume Caldera, as a warning to all pirates who might think to attempt a similar gamble against his people. In the winter of the Dinghu Era, Hoshitaru Shaka Dinghusei realized the need to create a defense league to protect the growing number of inhabitants of the Veil and to ward off any further corsair incursions or raids from foreign aggressors. In 6,565 BGW, Hoshitaru Dinghusei founded a school of self-defense, philosophy, alchemy and dueling which, altogether, became known as miyabi-do, or the Water's Way ''in honor of the "Kingdom of Rain" over which he presided. The school was headquartered in the then-capital of Sagajin, ''Lah'zuli, ''in honor of his ancestor Shaka Dinghu who kept court there throughout most of her life. The inception of this new breed of warrior could not have come at a better time, for the next era in the history of the Veil would prove the most tumultuous yet. The Clan Wars (6,500 BGW—6,000 BGW) Very little is known about the 500 year dark ages between the fall of the Dinhu Era and the inception of the Ehmer Era. With the southern seas largely cleared of pirate gangs by the miyabidama and flourishing Dinghu, starting at around 6,500 BGW, as the other tribes and developing early nations throughout Mistral eventually, one-by-one, began to consolidate and make contact with the peoples of the Veil. This culminated with the introduction of the Mistral Trade Route to the Veil sometime around 6,000 BGW, thus officially marking the beginning of the Ehmer Era. Before that, the miyabi-do code expanded throughout Enhasa and the Emerald Isles extensively, and hundreds of shrines, temples and dojos were built over the passing of these centuries. As more and more shrines were erected, certain temples gained more popularity than others, and eventually as numbers of adherents grew clans began to emerge. Tensions between clans worsened, and after a while, civil wars over territory, resources, governance and property broke out. With no more pirates to fight, the Dinghu people turned inwards upon each other, and found satisfaction in letting the blood of their own countrymen for material and covetous reasons. There are a few records which suggest that at one point, a predominantly coastal and seafaring tribe from Mantle would periodically navigate the ''Vytalian Current ''to the west of Mistral, sailing down around the continent to loot and plunder the isles and coves throughout the Sea of Clouds. This put the disciples of miyabi-do to the test in combat for the very first time against a numerous and powerful enemy other than each other. Not having the intense familiarity with the southern seas or the constitution for excessive rain, fog, and tropical weather, the Mantalian seafarers were beaten back three times successfully over the course of 300 years until they either stopped trying or disappeared altogether. It is believed by many prominent historians that it was during several counterattacks during this period that a sizeable number of Valeian and Vacuan slaves were liberated from the Mantle raiders, and were relocated or resettled in the region of Mistral that present-day belongs to the Drudes. To that effect, these slaves may have interbred with other slaves, local populations in Western Mistral, or were simply resettled there by the Ehmer, some becoming the ancestors of the modern Drudic peoples. As miyabi-do flourished and reached its zenith, the last emperor of the Dinghu Empire Sonata Koimaru Dinghusei ordered the First Cycle of the Emerald Canticles to be written. The Ehmer Era (6,000 BGW—3,000 BGW) "And so they did with hardened hearts prepare with a fiery yearning of the soul instilled known only to few men, for the glorious thrills of victory and the crushing agony of defeat were known to them in dreams and nightmares both already, and a warrior cannot fear what in his spirit has already come to pass. From glittering iron and emerald bedrock hewn were innumerable implements of war, emblazoned all with litanies to their lord marshal, the Emperor of Ehmer; the royal armorers with busy mallets accomplished their warmasters, closing rivets up and giving dreadful note of preparation, that should their charges, once more, to the breach attend, a cost greater than death itself their enemies would dearly pay." (Cycle 2, Onoununji, 24:7:13) Peace and prosperity could not endure for long, however, as the absence of meddling pirate fleets opened the maritime corridors for empire and industry. Both commercial and imperial navies collected and amassed from the Beryl Strait and throughout the Sea of Clouds. Though it was not typically their way to engage their new enemies at sea, but along the coasts and along the archipelago sea lanes, the Dinghu miyabidama took them to task. Even with some of the finest combat training in the world of Remnant, oftentimes overcoming superior numbers and devastating firepower demanded enormous sacrifices. At the time, this often meant the emperor of Dinghu, Sonata Koimaru, would have to ask his finest generals, the leaders of each clan or temple, to ask that their own adjutants and disciples sacrifice their lives in battle without question, that they should serve an emperor and protect his land, a land too young to protect itself. In order for fealty, the clans demanded their own self-rule. The leaders of the nine great clans saw no reason to pay tribute to or serve a dynastic family, even if it was the very royal family that had founded Sagajin in the first place. They would fight for the Dinghu Monarchy if and only if they were granted complete military, economic, and religious autonomy. This the Dinghu Monarchy could not abide, and arrest warrants were issued for the leaders of every major temple throughout Enhasa and the Emerald Isles. During a period of 72 hours which will forever live in infamy was 'The Long Night''', a terrible order during which an unconscionable amount of blood was shed by both Sagajini vanguard (imperial troops) and miyabidama. In response, the miyabidama ordered the children of Sonata Koimaru, two sons, four daughters, rounded up and summarily executed, thus permanently ending the Dinghusei royal line. The eldest son, Shenjin Dinghusei, was murdered in the capital city Lah'zuli while his younger brother, Bishamon Horai Dinghusei, one of the nine clan leaders, was deposed, arrested, and fed to a pack of hungry yakuul, his post filled by a clan nominee. While two of the daughters were slain, the fate of the last two is still unknown, however one of the pair, Schala Enzoh Dinghusuru, was, according to apocryphal legend, was spared by the warlord assigned to execute her, with the most popular outcome of the tale being that he brought her to his mansion in Menagerie where the two of them eventually fell in love and had children that would reintegrate back into the Veil decades, perhaps even over a century later. Before both sides could officially declare war upon each other, a massive merchant caravan from Central Mistral found a way across the previously-thought impenetrable Felspark Mountains and spilled into North Veil, bringing with them an enormous amount of trade, economics, and diplomacy from a previously unknown civilization that had flourished over the last 1,000 in the mountains, valleys, hinterlands and boreal taiga of Central Mistral. This marked the introduction of the Mistral Trade Route, and also the signing of the Enhasa Accord, which outlined a compromise in which the Clans and the Imperial Court would rule jointly; primarily, this meant that the Clans would primarily rule the South Veil as they saw fit so long as they convened jointly as a ruling body (incorporated as the Zengjafah) and reported regularly to the Empire who controlled the North Veil and oversaw the goings-on of the rest of the Veil at large. The Clans could keep their own standing army, but political and diplomatic decisions would ultimately rest in the hands of the Imperial Court. Issues such as environment, education, religion, economics, science, arts and law would be handled jointly between both governing bodies. This maturation of Sagajin could not have come at a moment too soon, and was promptly rebranded by leadership as "The Emerald Veil" in the common tongue used by those on the Trade Route and in Central Mistral. The Chaakhari Era (2,500 BGW—35 BGW) Modern Day Veil (Post Great War) Government & Politics Economy Imports & Exports Science & Technology Energy Transportation Dust Market Demographics Religion Languages Education Health Culture Art Music Literature Cuisine Sports